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US Figure Skating distance themselves from Russian Olympic ban call

United States Figure Skating have performed a U-turn to distance themselves from the comments of their President Sam Auxier saying Russia should be banned from competing at Pyeongchang 2018 due to doping problems.

Speaking during the US Figure Skating Championships last month, Auxier suggested that the world's largest nation should receive a punishment fitting of the crimes outlined in the McLaren Report.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-commissioned probe alleged that around 1,000 Russians across Summer, Winter, non-Olympic and Paralympic sport were implicated in a doping manipulation scheme at events taking place between 2011 and 2015.

Disciplinary proceedings have been opened by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) against 28 Russians who competed at Sochi 2014.

"These opinions were Auxier's own and not the official position of US Figure Skating," said the letter which has also been published as a statement on their website.

"US Figure Skating's position is to await the IOC and ISU's decision on this matter, and US Figure Skating will abide by the findings."

Extra fuel to the fire has now been provided by an intervention from Didier Gailhaguet, the French official who stood unsuccessfully against Dutchman Jan Dijkema in the ISU Presidential race last year.

Gailhaguet, who served a three-year ban from the sport due to his involvement in a judging scandal at the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympics, claimed Auxier's claims were “cartoonish” and a "deeply unrealistic proposal".

In another letter sent to ISU members and published by USA Today, he accused him of hypocrisy due to the doping problems prevalent across American sport.

These comments were strongly rebutted in the US Figure Skating letter.

About the author

Since joining insidethegames.biz in 2013, Butler has travelled to a variety of major global sporting events, including the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics and the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games as well as the most recent editions of the Asian, European and Pan American Games in Incheon, Baku and Toronto. He has also attended the last four International Olympic Committee (IOC) Sessions and has particularly enjoyed tackling the politics and diplomacy of the Olympic Movement.

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Fact of the day

At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Iranian judoka Arash Miresmaeili was disqualified for weighing in at nearly four pounds above the limit for his weight class of his under-66 kilograms match against an Israeli opponent Ehud Vaks in the first round. It was claimed Miresmaeili had gone on an eating binge to protest the International Olympic Committee's recognition of the state of Israel. Iran does not recognise the state of Israel, and Miresmaeili's actions won praise from high-ranking Iranian officials. Mohammad Khatami, the country's President at the time, was quoted as saying Miresmaili's actions would be "recorded in the history of Iranian glories". He was later awarded $125,000 by the Government - the same amount given to Olympic gold medallists.

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